Loop east of Coulommiers through the Forêt de la Bretonnière

Starting point and access: Coulommiers railway station.
- Transilien – Line P, terminus of a section from Paris-Est.
Take the only exit, Place du 8 mai 1945.

Red and white + yellow markings

(S/E) On leaving the station, cross the car park and head straight ahead into Rue de la Gare. At the end, go round the roundabout on the right and take the^second right, Rue Marcel Clavier, keeping to the right-hand pavement. You’ll cross Rue Guy Môquet on the right-hand side.

No signposting

(1) Shortly afterwards, ignore the entrance to the Parc des Capucins on the left and carry on straight ahead. You’ll cross Rue Salmon de Brosse on the right-hand side and take a footpath running parallel to the road and a cycle path. As you approach a roundabout, turn right along the footpath, cross at a pedestrian crossing and pass several bus stops. Cross at another pedestrian crossing and walk past the Hippolyte Rémi Secondary School. Then turn left to cross the road at the pedestrian crossing and follow the road to the right.

(2) Just before a level crossing, turn left onto a small tarmac track (signposted ‘Voie pompiers’). After a metal gate on the left, continue straight on along a path running parallel to the railway line (easily recognisable by the overhead catenary). After an electrical substation (on the left), the grassy path gives way to a track.

(3) At the end, follow a road to the right and cross the railway line (disused). Immediately afterwards, when the road bends to the right, first turn left then right to take a stony track and follow the fence of a business on your left. At the foot of a power pylon, turn left and continue along the fence. At the end of the fence, carry on straight ahead along a grassy path. Walk alongside a copse on your right, then continue between the fields.

(4) At the T-junction, turn right and head gently uphill. At the next T-junction, turn left. The track soon gives way to a narrow lane. At the junction, go straight on into Rue de la Chaise. Ignore a path branching off to the right and continue along the small road.

(5) When the road bends to the left, turn right onto a grassy path. Follow a hedge on your left and continue between the fields. At the end of the path, turn right and take a cycle path running parallel to a road.

Purple markings

(6) After about fifty metres, turn left, cross the road (take care – there is no pedestrian crossing) and follow Rue de Plaisance (metal cross and bus stop on the left). Enter the village of Chailloy. At a three-way junction, turn left onto Rue de l’Hôtel-Dieu towards Salerne. Ignore the dead-end streets on either side.

(7) At the next three-way junction, turn right and follow the Voie Piot towards Salerne. At the hamlet of Salerne, leave the farm and houses on your left and continue straight on. The small road then gives way to a farm track.

(8) Ignore a path branching off to the left and stay on the main track. Walk briefly alongside a wood on your left (metal gate) and you’ll soon reach a junction with a path coming from the right.

Purple and yellow markings

(9) Carry on straight ahead along the track. Then cross a small road (marker 137) and continue straight on into Rue Ambroise. Pass through the hamlet of Les Champtretots.

(10) At the junction on leaving the hamlet, turn left onto a grassy path. Head gently downhill. On your left, follow a hedge and then a wood. On your right, the route alternates between fields, woods and fenced meadows.

(11) At the corner of a meadow, go straight on (ignore the Red Cross, which is for mountain bikers). You’ll come out onto a small road; follow it to the left and pass through the hamlet of La Bretonnière.

Yellow markings

(12) At the Stop sign, for those wishing to stop off and/or visit the Moulin de Boissy (a contemporary art gallery highlighted by the ‘Visorandonneur’ Claude L2; see the ‘Places to see’ section), turn right onto Rue de la Gare and cross the Grand Morin.

No signposting

At the T-junction, turn left, pass the bus stop and you’ll immediately find the car park and the entrance to the Galleria Continua on your left.

(13) Retrace your steps, take the first right, cross the Grand Morin again and return to the junction you have already passed through.

Purple signposting

(12) Continue straight on along the Route du Bois Saunoy (on the left if you skipped the detour to the Moulin de Boissy). Climb gently for about 400 m and walk alongside a secondary school on the right-hand side.

(14) Turn right and pass through a forest gate (be careful: there are no arrows or markers here). Enter the forest and follow a path that appears to be little-used. At the end (MTB signpost no. 17), first turn left then right (purple cross) to follow another path.

(15) At the end, follow a well-maintained path to the right and descend gently. Take the first path on the left (keep a sharp eye out for this turn-off). At the next junction, go straight on. Then pass through a forest gate and continue straight on, skirting a fenced-off meadow on your left. The path then gives way to a tarmac lane.

(16) At the T-junction, turn left onto Impasse Maigret. At the end of the tarmac road, turn left onto a path. At the junction, carry on straight ahead.

(17) At the T-junction, turn right.

Red and white + mauve markings

(18) Cross the Route du Corbier and continue straight ahead into Rue de Masure, which slopes slightly downwards.

(19) When the road bends to the right, carry on straight ahead along a track, keeping to the left of a hedge. The track soon gives way to a footpath. Walk alongside a woodland on your left, then enter the woodland.

Red and white + yellow markings

(20) At the end, turn right and cross the old railway line. At the T-junction (sign for the exit to Les Petits Aulnoys), turn left. At the Stop sign, turn right (be careful, narrow verge). At the traffic lights, go straight on and cross the Grand Morin in several stages (note the remains of an old mill on the right). Pass by the foot of an old dovecote. Then note an old chapel on the right and walk along the Place des Tours.

(21) At the junction, turn left onto Rue de Pontmoulin.

(22) At the next Fork in the road (EDF substation), turn left onto a one-way street. Ignore a road on the right and walk alongside the Grand Morin on your left. Ignore the^first footbridge on the left.

(23) Take the second footbridge on the left and cross the Grand Morin. At the junction, go straight on along a gravel path and follow a branch of the Grand Morin on your right.

(24) Enter the Parc des Capucins and turn left immediately. Ignore the access to a small “island” on the left and first turn right then left. Pass a chapel on the left and cross a shaded area diagonally to the right. At the end, turn left, leave the park and take the footbridge over the Fausse Rivière (that’s its name). Then cross the road at the pedestrian crossing.

(1) Follow the road to the right and carry on straight ahead until you reach the roundabout. Then take the^second left, Rue de la Gare, and you’ll soon arrive at the station (S/E).

Train timetables: see the Transilien website.

For motorists:
Park in the car park at Coulommiers station or in one of the adjacent car parks.

Hiking boots are recommended. In summer, bring sun protection suitable for your skin type.

Shops in Coulommiers; there is a bar near the station.

Access conditions and opening hours for the Parc des Capucins, between (23) and (1):
- Opening: 8.00 am.
- Closing time: from November to February, 6.00 pm; in March–April and September–October, 7.00 pm; from May to August, 9.00 pm.
- Dogs must be kept on a lead.

Alternative route:
At point (8), follow a grassy path to the left. After about 500 m, rejoin the main route at point (17) and continue straight on. This shorter version is approximately 12 km long.

Much of this walk follows a^PR®® trail designed and signposted by the Seine-et-Marne departmental committee of the FFR. A 1:25,000 map is useful (at the very least, the one accompanying this description). In the Forêt de la Bretonnière, between (14) and (16), tracking the route via the Visorando app is a useful addition.

Walk undertaken by the author on 7 October 2023.

- Views of Coulommiers between (4) and (8).
- A pleasant walk between (10) and (11).
- Moulin de Boissy (13). A former paper mill which now houses Galleria Continua, a contemporary art centre. Open Wednesday to Sunday, from 12:00 to 19:00 (closed annually during the Christmas holidays). Picnic tables in the garden. Thanks to hiker Claude L2 for bringing this to our attention!
- Ruins of an old mill on the banks of the Grand Morin, between (20) and (21).
- Parc des Capucins, which offers a variety of routes, between (24) and (1).